erst

== English == === Alternative forms === arste yerst (dialectal) === Etymology === From Middle English erste, from Old English ǣresta (“first”), from Proto-West Germanic *airist (“earliest, first”), equivalent to ere +‎ -est. Cognate with North Frisian iarst, iáárs, jarst, jest (“first”), West Frisian earst (“first”), Dutch eerste (“first”), German erste (“first”). === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ɝst/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɜːst/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)st === Adjective === erst (not comparable) (obsolete) First. === Adverb === erst (not comparable) (obsolete) First of all, before (some other specified thing). (obsolete) Sooner (than); before. (archaic, poetic) Formerly, once, erstwhile. ==== Quotations ==== For quotations using this term, see Citations:erst. ==== Derived terms ==== erstwhile === Anagrams === Rest., 'rest, rest., REST, -ster, ERTs, rets, rest, tres, RETs, TERs, SERT, estr-, -estr- == German == === Etymology === See the numeral erste. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /eːrst/, [ʔeːɐ̯st], [ʔɛɐ̯st] === Adverb === erst first, at first Synonym: zuerst only (with progress, accomplishments or the present time) Sie ist erst 28 Jahre alt. ― She is only 28 years old. Es ist erst halb zehn. ― It is only half past nine. not until, not for, not before (with reference to a point or period of time in the future) only, as recently as (with reference to the past) Er ist erst gestern gegangen. ― He left only yesterday. Er ist erst seit zwei Tagen da. ― He has only been here for two days. ellipsis of erstmal (Switzerland) synonym of zumal ==== Usage notes ==== With reference to time periods and moments, the opposite of erst is schon. Erst emphasizes how long it is until something happens or how recently it has happened, whereas schon how soon in the future or far in the past. Thus: erst in drei Wochen ― not for three weeks [and that seems so far away] schon in drei Wochen ― in only three weeks [and I'm glad I don't have to wait any longer] With reference to progress and the like, erst emphasizes how young or short, while schon emphasizes how old or long. Thus: Sie ist erst 28 Jahre alt ― She's only 28 [and yet she has so many accomplishments/she looks so much older, etc.] Sie ist schon 28 Jahre alt ― She's already 28 [but it seems only yesterday that she was a little girl] ==== Derived terms ==== erst recht ==== Related terms ==== erster === Further reading === “erst” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache == Old Frisian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɛːrst/ === Adjective === ērst alternative form of ērest ==== References ==== Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN